Door threshold



Dec. 25, 1951 DOOR PEN f/VENR 0 *f4/3 tu LJ. WA-- ATTORNEY Patented Dec. Z5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- DOOR'ATHRESHOLD LloydStanko, Toledo, Ohio.

Application May 20, 1950, SerialN. 163,230"

(Cl. BIL-64) 1 Claim.

his invention relates to thresholds, but more particularly to a threshold which is adapted to eiiect automatically;4 a Weather-tight. seal with the doorwhen the latter is in its closed position.

An object is to produce a new and improved threshold which has a spring-tensioned iloating portionwhich is urged into weather-tightsealing engagement with the lower edge portion of the door when the latter is in closed position and which is adapted automatically to accommodate itself to irregularities in the edge potrion of the door so that even though the lower edge portion of the door is somewhat irregular, nevertheless satisfactory weather-tight joint will be effected between the threshold and the door.

Another object is to produce a threshold which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, simple to install, and eiiiciently and satisfactorily seals the lower edge of the door when in closed position even though such edge portion is not entirely straight horizontally and irrespective of the slight differences in the space between the threshold and the door.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the lower edge portion of a door and its frame, and showing the threshold in position of use when the door is in closed position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2, but with the door in its open position.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a door I of the usual type mounted for opening and closing swinging movements on an up and down hinge axis, the hinges II therefor being suitably connected to the door frame I2. The threshold I3 consists of a longitudinally elongate body portion I4 which may be of suitable metal produced, for example, from castings. The body has upwardly inclined or sloping side walls I5 and a central longitudinally extending channel or cavity I6 which preferably extends throughout the length of the body and has a closed bottom wall I'I, the top being open and providing an elongate slot. Opposite side walls of the cavity IE include a vertically extending wall portion I 8 which merges at its upper end with an inwardly inclined wall portion I9 terminating in a vertically inclined wall portion which provides the upper edge or mouth of the cavity.

Disposed. within the cavity I61-is` a: floatingsecje f tion ,2 I which J extends throughout `the length. of" thefbody Vand :has upwardly slopingwalls .22ter.- minating` in` an: apex. portion'` 23. Thef inclina-l tion` of thelsloping .Walls 22 correspondstto the.

adjacent walls I5 of the body portion so that when the floating section- 2.I 'is inits uppermost positionv such .asfshownin liliguretl,` the walls.r provide a continuation of each other.

Adjacent each of the sloping walls or surfaces 22 is a vertically depending wall 24 which corresponds to the wall portions 2U of the body and beneath the vertical wall 24 is an outwardly inclined wall 25 which when in the raised position of the iioating section 2I, abuts against the inclined or sloping wall I9 of the body portion which serves as a stop surface to limit the upward movement of the floating section. Adjacent the outwardly sloping wall portion 25 are vertically depending wall portions 26 which slide along the vertical wall portions I8 of the body of the threshold.

On the under side of the floating section 2| are a series of cup-shaped sockets 21 into which extend helical coil springs 2B, the opposite ends of which abut against the bottom wall I'I of the cavity IB. As shown, there are three coil springs 28 spaced longitudinally from each other and these springs constantly urge the lloating section 2I upwardly to its normal position as shown on Figure 3.

In use, it will be understood that when the door is swung from its open to its closed position, the edge portion of the door will ride along the sloping or inclined wall surface 22 of the oating section 2I and thereby cam or force the floating section 2| downwardly, compressing the springs 28. When the door is in its fully closed position as shown in Figure 2, the floating section 2| is depressed but the apex portion 23 is resiliently urged into engagement with the bottom edge of the door, thereby electing an exceedingly satisfactory weather-tight joint. This weather-tight `ioint or seal is effected even though the lower edge of the door is inclined or is not a true horizontal edge because the section 2I can float and automatically adjust itself to accommodate variations in the conformation of the door edge portion. It will further be understood that the space between the lower edge of the door and the threshold may vary but in spite of this situation, the floating section 2l of the threshold will be urged into satisfactory weather-tight engagement. It will be understood that the form of the springs and the number may be varied as desired. In

some instances, leaf springs may be used to advantage or if desired, a rubber cushion may be interposed between the floating section and the body of the threshold and satisfactory results will be achieved.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

A threshold comprising an elongate body, elongate upwardly sloping side walls on said body, a centrally disposed channel extending longitudinally throughout the length of said body, a closed bottom wall for said channel, the top of said channel being open thereby to provide an elongate slot, vertically extending side walls for said channel, an inwardly extending wall portion on the upper edge of eachvertical wall for constricting the mouth or top of the channel, the free edge portions of said inwardly extending Wall being vertically disposed, an elongate rigid bar vertically movable within said channel and extending throughout the length thereof, upwardly and inwardly sloping side walls on said bar meeting to form an apex portion, the slope of the side walls of the bar corresponding to the slope 4 of the body side walls so that when the bar is in raised position the side walls thereof merge with and form a continuation of the body side walls, vertically disposed wall portions depending from said side walls of the bar generally to conform to said vertically disposed edge portions of the channel, outwardly extending Wall portions contiguous to said depending wall portions for abutting against said inwardly extending wall portions of the channel in the raised position of the bar, the under side of lsaid bar having a plurality of sockets spaced from each other, and springs in said sockets respectively and bearing against said closed bottom wall of the channel thereby yieldingly to hold said bar in its raised position.

LLOYD STANKO.

REFERENCES CITED lThe following references are of record in the file of this patent: t

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 794,424 Petit July 11, 1905 1,210,535 Riley Jan. 2, 1917 2,445,315 Curley Julyv20, 1948 

